SHEILA JAWANDO (WALSH) November 1928 By Her Daughter JULIE
We sort of lived a double life, because Dad was so strict. You didn’t laugh when he was around, life was very, very serious. As soon as Dad went to work or out, the atmosphere in the house lightened – we just laughed and joked. Our Father first saw our Mother at her home around the Fallowfield area – at the bus stop going and coming from work. Mum was only eighteen; he used to get on the bus and follow her to work. He even wrote a letter to her boss, about what I have no idea. Mum was very attractive and slim with a really good figure even though she had ten children. The most amazing legs; we girls were gutted because only one of us got Mum’s legs, the rest all have thin legs. Yes, very attractive, short dark brown hair and a lovely personality. Mum’s Dad was originally from Dublin, Ireland. Grandma was from Scotland. They were both very opposed to my Dad. I don’t think Grandma ever spoke to my Mum after she met up with my Dad. Grandma had seven children. Her brothers were younger. One sister (Auntie) Nora, absolutely loved my brother Tony. He is the eldest. She would babysit him and take him out. Her two older sisters were married; one living in Canada, the other sister’s husband was quite high in the CID . There was a lot of pressure on him from Granddad to find out where my Mum was living and meeting up with my Dad. So, he did a lot of following my Mum and trying to put her off …but don’t get me wrong because he was a lovely man . She even had pressure from people at work. ‘What is this Black man doing hanging about outside?’,
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